Ed Page On Facebook: Does Mitt Romney Dog Story Have Any Relevance To Candidacy?

The following is an abridged version of a discussion on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/edpagecourant.

Ed Page: Does it matter that Mitt Romney drove to Canada 30 years ago with dog and carrier strapped to the roof of the family station wagon?

Donna E. Ploss: It sure as heck DOES!

Katrina S. Axelrod: Yes, it show a callous attitude toward both the kids and the dog! This is terrible dog ownership.

Lon Seidman: Yes. What struck me was how casually he delivered the story when he told it.. Almost like he was assuming everybody does it.

Jonathan Gilman: Who makes this stuff up?

Lon Seidman: You can't, that's what's great about politics :)

Brooke Jackson: It reflects a lack of empathy. And if he doesn't have any for his family pet, I highly doubt he has any to extend to the rest of us.

Jonathan Gilman: Brooke, that is a silly statement. I know some of his friends and they say he is caring, thoughtful, honest and decent.

Brooke Jackson: It's not silly at all and I'm sure his friends would say positive things about him. A person's deeds speak volumes to their character.

Jonathan Gilman: If you look back at history you will find that all the men who held the office of president had something that just didn't seem right and I can go down the list. We know before we elect them that they are not perfect, but we look at the good and the bad and make a judgment and we vote. Gov. Romney is not perfect. But he is a man who has the ability to bring this nation back to is former glory. To provide the leadership to bring us back together to overcome the stalemate we see in Congress.

Deirdre McCarthy Casserleigh: Just the idea that this man would think it was OK to do this brings into question the lack of judgment Mitt Romney has! The animal was so stressed out, feces flowed from the carrier. Instead of realizing his mistake, [Romney] hosed the poor thing down and crammed it back into the box! It makes one wonder if he and his wife had had another child, where they would have placed that child for the trip.

Brooke Jackson: Exactly — no one is perfect and we all must make a judgment. To Deirdre's point, his actions were callous and and I'm not even a dog lover. In my book, the ability to relate to the plight of all citizens is mandatory for any presidential contender, not just his friends, and his actions in this situation proves to me that he lacks it. You make your judgments and I'll make mine.

Tom Nash: Haven't we all done something 30 years ago, or at least when we were younger, that we would have second thoughts about doing today at a later stage of our life? Reminds me of the old saying, "People who live in glass houses shouldn't throw stones."

John M. Stanko: When you treat living creatures as excess baggage it says something about your view of life. It is irrelevant that it happened 30 years ago. Mr. Romney's continual treatment of people as excess baggage in the business deals he has made reflects a continuing pattern.

Ralph Capenera: If Romney is the nominee, I bet Americans will be more concerned with $4 gas and Obama's failed economic policies than Romney's dog. Of course, I expect Democrats to try and focus on the dog.

John M. Stanko: Failed economic policies? Look at the facts, not the right-wing hype. Things are better now than they were at the end of President Bush's second term. As for the gasoline prices, history repeats itself. Prices have dropped and gone up for years now and have more to do with Wall Street speculators than the president's policies. This happened when Bush was president as well. As for the dog, it is symbolic of the man's actions. I'd rather have a person in office who respects living things than a person who only worries about himself. President Obama cares about all people, not just himself and the rich.

Ralph Capenera: Things are better now? If Democrats thought the could sell that pile they wouldn't be talking about Romney's dog.

Robert Slate: Let the victims speak for themselves: http://www.dogsagainstromney.com/

Ralph Capenera: Republicans talk about Jeremiah Wright and other Obama radical associations because the liberal media won't. But ... back to $4 gas and high unemployment.

Mario Hasz: Tom is right that we have all done dumb things in our lives. Romney should have just said, "It wasn't one of my best decisions," and the story would have died. Instead he tries to defend it and that is where the story is.

Ed Page: Oh, we know very well why the right-wing media continues to flog an old, tired storyline. Meanwhile, Romney's dog story is an old, amusing storyline.

Jay Selavka: Reminds me of that scene in National Lampoon's "Vacation" ..."Poor little guy ... probably kept up for a mile or so ..."